So let’s talk about timing your meal, shall we?
It’s a daunting meal but with a few tips and being well organized, you can get through it in a breeze.
First, read the recipes. And then read them again. and then one more time.
Ok great.
When planning a big meal, I like to work backward from the eating time to the start time. So if you want to eat at 6:00 PM, let’s work back from there. I find it the most helpful for me to make a big spreadsheet or color-coded papers with what I’m cooking, where it needs to be cooked, if it can be made in advance, and how long it’s good for. That way, I’m covering all my bases with time, oven real estate, and making sure no one gets food poisoning (hopefully). The turkey will always take the longest no matter if you’re cooking it whole or in parts, so that will be the biggest amount of time. Almost everything else can be made/prepped ahead of time and reheated the same day so let’s get to it!
Turkey!
Are you doing a full bird? You should get it as early possible, especially if you have freezer space. For thawing, it takes about one day for every 4 pounds of turkey.
If you’re getting your turkey fresh, I would recommend two days before. Also if you’re not doing turkey because your thanksgiving is smaller or you just think turkey is not great – I see you Steaksgiving people – this will cut down a significant amount of time on prep as well as freeing up space in your oven.
Generally a turkey will take 20 minutes per pound if you’re cooking it whole, and generally I turn the oven on and let it preheat to 450°F then once I put the bird in I drop it down to 350°F for the remainder of the cook time. The turkey, once done, should be at 165°F in the thickest part of the thigh and let rest for at least 15 minutes before carving. This timing can vary as every oven is different but make sure to check on your bird.
MINIMUM TURKEY COOK TIME = Pounds x 20 + 15 (or whatever rest time you’d like)
I find this to be the easiest and best way to cook a turkey for the home cook. I’ve also had a deep fried turkey, infrared fried turkey, and a smoked turkey, with the smoked probably being my favorite out of all of the styles but needs the most equipment.
Sides!
There are some traditional sides that the majority of them can be made in advance and only require reheating or final touches before serving, a great thing to do after you take the turkey out of the oven and are letting it rest. Putting these in order of farthest out you can make them to things that should be cooked the day of.
Gravy – Make up to two weeks ahead and keep in the freezer, thaw, and reheat before serving.
Yes, you can make your gravy early and don’t need the drippings from the pan to do so as it’s so stressful. Make your gravy early and you can fortify it the day of with turkey drippings or just reheat your already made gravy and call it a day.
Cranberries – Make up to one week ahead and keep in refrigerator until ready to serve.
Mashed Potatoes/Sweet Potatoes – Make up to three days ahead, need to be reheated.
Green Bean Casserole – Make filling up to two days ahead, needs to be reheated and topped with crispy onions before serving
Brussel Sprouts – Make up to two days before and reheat the day of
Mac and Cheese – Prepare the day before but bake the day of.
Stuffing – Prepare up to one day ahead of time and par baked, then completed the same day. Do not actually stuff the bird with this, only aromatics should go in the bird and then be discarded.
Dinner Rolls – Prepare the day before if making fresh and bake the morning of thanksgiving before the bird takes over the oven. Or, just buy store bought because rolls are difficult sometimes.
Salads & Salad Dressing – Make the day of, no wilted greens allowed!
Dessert!
If you are making your own pie, I would make it no more than two days in advance. Most pies once fully baked are able to sit on the counter without much refrigeration, but if you’re making a cream pie or cheesecake, those gotta be refrigerated.
As much as I love baking, I don’t put a ton of effort in to the dessert game for Thanksgiving anymore because by the times people get to the dessert they’re so full they don’t appreciate it, but going to try to think of some creative ideas to post here in the final countdown.
Drinks!
Start drinking immediately, hydration is important! But seriously, make sure you’re drinking a lot of water.
Start the day with a mimosa or irish coffee and let the good vibes take you all the way through the meal.
Drinks are something that you can free up some fridge space with by moving your drinks to a cooler until ready to serve. Also an easy way to keep people out of the kitchen who are “just grabbing something to drink” but then stay and try to backseat drive your cooking.
Also if you’re planning on having cocktails or making a signature cocktail, make a big batch of it so guests can pour their own or you don’t have to get off the couch as often to make them.
I also like to have hot coffee (I know, it’s strange) after dinner, often with some whipped cream to cap off the meal.
So this is just a very general guide for making it through Thanksgiving day with a clear thought process and calm demeanor. Just because people stress out over Thanksgiving doesn’t mean you have to! With a little planning and some prep work, you’ll be able to enjoy Thanksgiving day as a whole, whether that’s doing a turkey trot, watching football, or just vegging out.
If you have any other questions or want specific help, just let me know! Here to help!
Happy Thanksgiving Eating!
Kelly
